Political Parties Or Political Arrangements: A Philosophical Critique of Pakistani Politics

This August 10, Alternate Solutions Institute released my 2nd Urdu book, Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast: A Philosophical Critique of Pakistani Politics. Copied below are the English and Urdu media releases:

Urdu Book "سیاسی پارٹیاں یا سیاسی بندوبست" (Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast) published

The book attempts a philosophical analysis of Pakistan’s political parties

The book smashes a number of political myths and cliches

Author dubs political parties as enemies of the citizens and focuses on how to make them friends of the citizens

Lahore August 10, 2012: Alternate Solutions Institute released today Dr. Khalil Ahmad's 2^nd Urdu book, “Siyasi Partian Ya Siyasi Bandobast: Pakistani Siyasat Ke Pech-o-Khum Ka Falsafiyani Muhakma” (Political Parties Or Political Arrangements: Philosophical Analysis of the Intricacies of Pakistani Politics). His first book, "Pakistan Mein Riyasti Ashrafiya Ka Urooj" (The Rise of State Aristocracy in Pakistan) came out in February this year and has been acclaimed as path-breaking.

The new book holds that the citizens are in a fix vis-à-vis political parties of Pakistan. It is the same political parties which act as their enemies when in power, and at the same time it is these parties which may act as their friends. The author deals with this thorny issue in a befitting manner. He says that these political parties after obtaining votes destroy the lives of the citizens, as is happening now; and it is the same parties which may bring peace, security and prosperity in their lives. How to make this miracle happen? This question is the focus of the book.

The book explains in detail how and when political parties come to act as political parties, and why most of the time they remain just political arrangements seeking party loyalties and protecting party interests.

The book argues that what demands citizens ought to put before the political parties, and what demands they must never. It is this deception all the politics of the political parties derives from and is based on. It is this parrot in which lies the life of the political parties. The citizens must not ask for such things from the political parties which they cannot provide. This is the Welfarist Agenda of the political parties which tantalizes the citizens, and they are trapped. The citizens should empower political parties for doing only those things which form their fundamental duty: protection of citizens’ life, property and their rights. This is the Protective Agenda.

The book further argues that the citizens must not hand over their whole life into the hands of political parties. If they do that, as to some extent they have already done so, then the political parties will act as the owners and disposers of their lives. In fact, the political parties are already substantiating such claims of theirs over the life of the citizens. Thus, they use the citizens as the fuel for their ideas and ideologies to flourish. In fact, they are already thrown the citizens into such fires. The book concentrates on such issues, and points out a way out of this situation which may make political parties to act as the friends of the citizens.

The book also attempts detailed philosophical analysis of certain political parties such as Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan Muslim League (N), Pakistan Muslim League (Q), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, Jamat-e-Islami, Jamiat-e-Ulama-e-Islam (F), and classifies them all as Welfarist. The book shows why most of the political parties, such as PML (Q), PTI, PPP, are just political arrangements, and not political parties proper.

The author of the book, Dr. Khalil Ahmad, has been teaching Philosophy, and is mainly devoted to Political Philosophy. He is one of the founders of the Alternate Solutions Institute, a think tank dedicated to the strengthening of personal freedom and rule of law in Pakistan. His most important works are "Pakistan Mein Riyasti Ashrafiya Ka Urooj" (The Rise of State Aristocracy in Pakistan), and "Charter of Liberty.”

The price of the 128 page hard-bound book is Rs.200. For more information and purchasing the book, the Institute may be contacted at: Phone: 0303 – 4000 161 ; Email: info@asinstitute.org

Address: Room No. 32, 3^rd Floor, Landmark Plaza, 5/6 Jail Road, Lahore

Enterprise of history - I

This is in continuation of a previous post, “Hind and Sindh civilizations and getting religion politicized.”

As I see that, and ,of course, for that matter everyone with a keen eye must have observed that, History has been proving, as Samuel Johnson dubbed Patriotism, the last refuge of (not a scoundrel) but all those intellectuals, men of letters, leaders, communities, nations, sections, or any other such introverted individuals or groups, who think themselves victim of this or that “injustice” at the hands of especially those who are ahead of them in any respect, be it economy, politics, philosophy, science, sports, etc. on the one hand, and on the other, in development, social luxuries, technologies, etc.

More than that, I think, in the presence of such a crowd, History hasn’t been able to acquire its true existence, or rationale.  

So a few new slogans may be devised: Let the History acquire its true existence! Let the History get rid of the Victims’ Burden!

Isn’t this true existence of History, another justification for its exploitation to the benefit of another sect?

I think, No! And that is why I have titled this post as the “Enterprise of history.”

To me, history is a MARSH as well as a PAINTING.

A historian or reader of History may sink into it, or may learn more and more details of that painting. Let me assert, it's a continuous painting. There may be short breaks in this or that tract of the painting, but on the whole it is continuous and continued; and it must be added as we say and need to save this human planet: to be continued.

And it depends on the attitude of a historian and reader of History how they see History. Further, it also depends on the nature of their historical venture whether History will prove to be a marsh or a painting to them.

If they go into History, i.e. write history or read history to find out certain "principles" which will justify ways of their present or imagined existence connected with the past, or this or that form of their existence, they will be trapped in the marsh.

And if they go into it to learn more and more details of the painting, they will remain firmly standing on their ground, and will not try to replace their present existence with this or that or with an imagined existence.

Let it be clarified here that this imagined existence is painted with the stuff gathered from the History, and has no future dimension. Or if it has a future dimension, as presently the violent religionists claim, it consists of the imagined existence to be imposed on the present part of the painting.

I am not saying that there is "X History" and we try to find out that; that there was a history which needs to be discovered. Also, I do not mean that we are free to write History of our choice or liking; or shape History the way we want it to be or to look. Or, as the “victim communities” desperately seek it to be and to look. What I want to bring out is that we need to see the painting with more and more details.

What’s the purpose of seeing this painting in and with more and more detail? I won’t say: in order to keep the continuity of this painting intact! I don’t mean that.

What I mean is: it is a continuous painting, and we live and tread inside and within this painting (though we do strive to go beyond that), and how can it be imagined that what we live within or inside is a broken or shattered piece of plane.

And as it may be objected: why this unbroken continued painting is necessary for our living. I would reply: as far as other forms of life are concerned who are on a very raw level of rational existence, it is fine for or with them if they do not bother about this painting or its continued-ness or its shattered-ness; nonetheless for the rational human beings, or say forms of life with higher rational consciousness, it is indispensable that their living has a continued existence in the form of this continued painting.

I remember Karl Popper says our minds are like prisons, we cannot escape it. But we are free to broaden our prisons, and we need to continue to broaden its walls.

I think it is same with History. We cannot ignore this painting; or change this painting in accordance with our wishes or demands. What we are free to do is to see the painting with more and more details. 

Let’s see what Romila Thapar has got to say in this regard:

Q: Will it be fair to say the basis of your analysis has been historical materialism?

A: Well I would not put it as simply as that. I think anyone who wrote history in the twentieth century had to take historical materialism seriously. Whether you accept it or not is another matter. If you reject it, they have to know why. My influence has been partly historical materialism, partly the French Annales School, interdisciplinary work and one's own ideas. The nice thing is that the debate in India between Marxists and others and among liberal historians has generated a lot of ideas. History has therefore changed.

[P. 109, Voices of Sanity - Harbingers of Peace, Zaman Khan, (Archetypes, Heinrich Boll Stiftung), December 2008, Lahore]

As Thapar states historians always need to sharpen their tools, their methodology; likewise the readers of History also need to be mindful of the fact that nothing can be brought out of History which may give this or that community this or that identity or any other imagined identity derived from the past and / or posited on the future part of the painting.

What history does is just gathering more and more details so that the painting is clearer and more intelligible. And more intact, also!

And it is here where perennial re-writing of history (the painting) and the perennial re-reading of history finds their rai·sons d'être.

So they are sunk in the marsh who are intent upon pasting this or that tract of the painting on this or that part of the painting, and they do this without knowing the details of that tract. Pity that they do not aspire to have a total view of the painting, and thus live inside this painting! They tear the painting, grab this or that piece of it, and run away with it, and declare this a mission of theirs that they are here to paint it anew with the colors of their choice, whilst they are color-blind!

Swiss maktoob koi ishoo naheen!

Please note: This post has been shifted to the Urdu Blog - Civil Pakistan. To see  it, click the link below:

Swiss maktoob koi ishoo naheen!

Hind and Sindh civilizations, and getting religion politicized

Recently I read an interview of Romila Thapar, renowned historian. Here are some questions and their answers which relate to the issue of religious identity in the sub-continent:

Q: Some scholars claim Hind and Sindh to be different civilizations. Do you subscribe to this view?

A: I don't subscribe to this at all. I think the Indus civilization was very widespread. It spread out to many regions that are now part of Pakistan and India. I strongly object to this view because you can't push an event that took place in the twentieth century five thousand years back in history.

Q: Why this insistence on two civilizations?

A: This happens when religion gets politicized. When religious organizations begin to feel that they can assert political power, they have to have an identity - a religious identity. And the easiest thing, of course is to say "we will take it as far back as goes the religion." There is a movement that seeks to establish Hinduism as the religion of Indus valley civilization. This is not true. One can say there are some roots of the present day Hinduism that may go back deep in history, but we cannot say for sure because we cannot read the (Indus valley) script.

Q: Has it been the failure of secular movement that led to the rise of the religious movements in India?

A: I think various things did. Religious nationalism - Hindu or Muslim - started in the 1920s. Both supported the two nation theory. Now they are trying to argue that if Pakistan is a Muslim state, why can't India be a Hindu state. They see the whole of pre-partition Indian society in terms of Hindus and Muslims. They don't see it in terms of communities with other kinds of identities. So it boils down to really to a question of identity.

[PP. 106-107, Voices of Sanity - Harbingers of Peace, Zaman Khan, (Archetypes, Heinrich Boll Stiftung), December 2008, Lahore]

The above is a continuous thread of questions and answers.

What Thapar said about India is true for Pakistan also!

More about this issue and the enterprise of history in another post!

Wikileaking clandestine governments

AFP reports that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange urged President Barack Obama to end the US "witchhunt" against his whistleblowing website, in a speech Sunday from the balcony of Ecuador's London embassy.

"I ask President Obama to do the right thing, the United States must renounce its witchhunt against WikiLeaks," said Assange, making his first public statement since being granted political asylum by Ecuador on Thursday. [August 20, 2012]

   

I love Julian Assange. His initiative of wikileaking clandestine governments strikes at the root of the politics of ruling elites, or better say, political elites.  

Here is the explanation:

Wikileaking clandestine governments

The latest ‘leaks’ of Wikileaks provide a historical opportunity to re-consider many a taken for granted truth!

This writing too intends to discuss afresh some such propositions which relates to the affairs of the governments. For instance, whether governments are justified in keeping various types of information secret. In Pakistan and maybe in other such countries also, this is an accepted truth. People outside governments than those inside seem more convinced in this regard. That is to be more loyalist than the king. As is the case, in contrast to the ordinary people, the elitist both inside and outside governments are to be blamed for this myth. They present government as a transcendental entity, and attribute it with similar characteristics. Without going into a lengthy debate, the simple truth is that rulers and government officials, be they elected, or nominated or appointed, all of them are from the same society of human beings, and the same countries where they come to be rulers or officials. They are not endowed with these powers to rule others from any other-world. These powers are given to them by the citizens as a trust.

Obviously, these powers are not absolute. They are determined and limited. Means that that’s no monarchy, rather a constitutional government which runs under certain rules and laws. It is for this reason that while someone is invested with powers, at the same time he is made responsible and accountable. To determine the scope of these powers, and their limits also, is the intent of laws and constitutions. For oversight, various institutions are created. That is what makes the existence of executive, legislature, and judiciary indispensable. Judiciary keeps a check on executive whether it is acting in accordance with the provisions of the constitution and laws of the land, and on legislature also whether the new laws enacted contradict or contravene with the dictates of the constitution. In Pakistan, its citizens have recently achieved a judiciary, which is not lame-duck, but alive and vigorous.

Thus, as viewed above, if the powers acquired by the rulers and officials are like a trust, then there is no justification to keep information about the affairs of the government secret. Why a government’s own matters or a government’s matters with another government should be secret is without any grounds! No argument validates this claim. However, it has been so, and remains so.

More to this, considering every government runs (and swells) at the expense of its citizens’ wealth, i.e. by levying taxes, it is quite natural for it to account for each single penny. Same is the purpose of audit and social audit. This means that all the affairs should proceed in complete transparency. There is no excuse for any secret or discretionary funds. All the incomes and expenditures of governments, including defense, should be transparent and open. This has become damn easier today. All the accounts should be put on internet for the perusal of the citizens. To this, only one exception can be considered. That’s the security and defense of a country, especially during war. To this end, certain information can be kept confidential. However, in this area extreme caution is needed. The type of information which today’s governments intend to conceal from their ‘enemies’ the very enemies somehow gain access to that, of course, due to the advancement of technology. Also, Wikileaks prove no information can be made and kept secret.

Hence, if all the affairs of governments are open and transparent, most of the possibility of this or that type of armed revolts, and war will be reduced to the minimum. This proposition would never be welcomed by rulers and governments, and also by those who despite their being outside government are stuffed with a thinking of ruling other people. They are ‘rulers’ from inside, or by instinct. They can never concede to or tolerate that the matters of governments be brought in open before the ‘ordinary’ citizens.

It is thanks to such elitist people that governments have enacted laws and rules like official secret acts, or classified information, and turned themselves into some transcendental entities. More than that, they step ahead of this when they not only conceal their affairs from their citizens but make leaking them a crime which invites various types of punishments. So, on the one hand in addition to concealing their affairs from their citizens, governments lie as well as mislead their citizens, and on the other, they contrive incomplete, incorrect and false information which they mean for “public consumption.” Interestingly, this has engaged civil society in securing citizens’ right to information. This makes for a mission for many an NGO.

In view of above, it may be concluded that the information which Wikileaks has leaked is in fact the property not only of the US citizens but world citizens. Wikileaks has only returned that information to its rightful owners. We should be thankful to Wikeleaks, and wish there spring hundreds of such initiatives which will bring official secrets and classified information back to where it rightfully belong to. And by doing this, they will make the citizens powerful instead of their governments. In leaking and revealing the secrets of governments lies the secret of citizens’ freedom and prosperity!

[This article was written on December 3, 2010.]

Signs of decline - 1

Reflections on various things: Signs of decline

I am an integral part of this society; but I am an observer of it also. I feel, i.e. smell, taste, touch, hear, and see the all-encompassing decline of the Pakistani society. 

As I notice, a clear sign of decline is this: Any entity set up for a specific purpose starts working against the same purpose. 

This idea has been reverberating in my mind since long. If A is created to fulfill purpose B, and if it defies that very purpose, and works to achieve purpose C, what will happen. No doubt, by losing B, A will lose its reason to exist, since C is not its purpose. That will set in motion its downfall.

Pakistani society is a case in point, and I would exempt only the present Supreme Court from this list. There are no entities where the signs of decline can't be seen writ large. Other than the state institutions, and other such entities, this includes gardens, parks, zoos, etc, etc.

The decline has taken hold of every entity, institution, and of course the value system, religion, and politics also.

Another sign which the Pakistani decline manifests is deteriorating language. The language / languages of a society is / are distorted. I mean the written languages. Or say the main language of communication and  knowledge is distorted.

Here in Pakistan, the language used in communication, newspapers, magazines, journals, text books, semi-text books, and general books also is far below the standard language.

Years back, when I used to go to the Pak Tea House, where litterateurs and intellectuals gathered, Muzaffar Ali Syed, a learned critic, was kind enough to spend some time with me every time we met there. Once when the issue under discussion was the same deterioration of language, he said: you take a Ph.D. and see what he writes, it's no different from what a grade ten student writes.

Another sign, and it has more to do with intellectual realm, but it is not confined to this realm . . . I mean what causes intellectual decline . . . i.e. why intellectual spirit dies. That like Pakistan, in such a society, Reason and Argument are deprived of their due status. What is valued is Authority! Here Who says is important, and What he says is considered just unimportant. 

That attitude sanctifies personalities, and put a stop to intellectual progress or limit it to a considerable extent. Since personalities considered as Authority do not attain that status usually due to their hard work based on Reason and Argument, rather because of other channels or connections, that gambles with intellectual progress or whatever domain it relates with. 

If good personalities move to that position of Authority, that's well and good, if not, that is not just bad, but extremely bad, because once they are there not only will they try to remain in that position, they will never let those to come forward whom they do not allow or approve as worthy of that position. 

Once in an interview, which was conducted on behalf of the college where I taught, Bakhtiar Hussain Siddiqui, a renowned educationist, talking about the decline of Education in Pakistan, remarked: if an incompetent person gets appointed as a principal of a college, he would not let any competent person to be part of that college.

That may also be termed as the Killing of Merit. 

Intezar Husain, novelist, short-story writer, critic, and a literary thinker, wrote a column in the Roznama Express January 1st, last year. It was titled as "The Death of Reason, and the Victory of the Battle Cry."

These were some of the signs of decline which on the basis of my observation I have singled out; of course, these are not all those responsible for the Pakistani decline. 

I will remain focused on this, thinking and writing more about this decline of Pakistani society . . .   
          

Kamra attack and the nuclear arsenals

“Gunmen who are believed to be Islamist militants attacked a major Pakistani Air Force base where some of the country’s nuclear weapons are thought to be stored early Thursday (August 16), setting off a heavy battle in which eight attackers and one security official were killed.

The attack on the Minhas air force base in Kamra, 40 kilometers, or 25 miles, northwest of the capital, Islamabad, was a stark reminder of the threat to Pakistan’s most sensitive installations despite ongoing military operations against militants in their tribal hide-outs.”

So, the story goes on in the local Pakistan edition of The International Herald Tribune of August 17, 2012.

Yesternight, Kamran Khan, talk show host at Geo News, enumerated about 150 militants attack on military installations and personnel, and estimated that Pakistan Military has suffered losses in these attacks and its fight against the militants it did not suffer in all its wars with India.

Local media reports Thehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has already accepted the responsibility for the Kamra attack in which one AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft has also been damaged.

In fact, there have been such attacks on many important installations of Pakistan Army including its General Head Quarters (GHQ). 

Let’s do not mention last year’s May 2 episode in which US Seals killed Osaman bin Laden in Abbottabad. But what about the May 22 PNS Mehran attack by the same militants!

It seems it’s fight IN THE HEART, INSIDE THE HEART, and WITHIN THE HEART!

That agitates concerns about the safety of nuclear arsenals . . . and that was why Foreign Office spokesman had to immediately make a statement that ‘all is in the safe hands.’

That means it requires patient diagnosis and merciless surgery, and of course, before all that a serious review of the War Strategy against the militants!

The following piece was written in the same spirit after the PNS Mehran attack:

Where is the broken backbone, Sir?

It was on April 23 that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the most powerful man in Pakistan, while addressing the passing out parade ceremony of the 123rd Long Course, Integrated Course 42 and Lady Cadet Course 8 at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul, Abbottabad, declared: ‘the security forces have broken the backbone of the terrorists and the nation will soon prevail over this menace.’ He also reiterated: ‘the Pakistan Army is fully aware of internal and external threats to the country and will come up to the expectations of the nation.’

Exactly on the 9^th day of his speech, during the night of May 2 and 3, the US Seals raided a house in the same Abbottabad, not far away from the Kakul Academy, and killed Osama Bin Laden, the most wanted man in the world. Again exactly on the 30^th day of his speech, just 6 (as yet no one knows the exact number) terrorists entered the PNS Mehran in Karachi, managed collectively by Pakistan Navy and Pakistan Air Force, and held sort of hostage the whole base as well as the whole nation.

Throughout this fight that continued through the next 17 or so hours no one from the military establishment or the government was available to tell the citizens what was happening. Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, the Supreme Commander, the President of Pakistan, the Master Politician of the country, too was nowhere on the scene to be seen. Mr. Ahmad Mukhtar, the poor Defense Minister, may have made an appearance after a considerable period of time, and he did make, but his comments meant nothing. The ever active ISPR that never lets go any opportunity to know its Position on the issues of importance, such as the ‘Kerry-Lugar Bill,’ was maybe fast asleep.

It’s no use counting the number of terrorist attacks against the Army, ISI, Police, FIA, etc, but one needs reminding the attack on the GHQ of Pakistan’s Security Forces. That would have been treated as the last symbolic blow and proved to be an eye-opener, but did not. All in all, there were countless attacks on civilian targets that killed considerable number of innocent men, women and children and caused damage of millions of rupees to the private property. Nothing seemed to move anything in the power corridors of Pakistan. Obviously, no change effected in the security establishment’s overt policies as the previously made arrangements still seem in tact. Its on-board groups and lashkars continue enjoying the blanket protection against the rule of law. That’s what we see, Sir, with our own eyes and through the eyes of print and electronic media, and whatever is available on the world-wide-web!

Sir, when Osama Bin Laden was killed under the nose of a premier training institution of Pakistan Military, I did not want Pakistani forces under your command (Iqbal’s Mamula) to set fighting against the US forces (Shahbaz) as most nationalists urged, but I do have a right to know how the most sought for criminal was living there for the last 5 years safe and sound! Sir, incompetence is forgivable, complicity should not be! Sir, so often I read about the Deep State, about the Strategic Depth, and such things, I do have a right to know how and why so much time is spared to delve into such matters which according to the Constitution of the country its Parliament is entrusted with! Sir, on record you said, you are India-centric, I do have a right to know how and why such a statement makes its impact on the foreign policy of Pakistan the making of which according to the Constitution of Pakistan is the prerogative of its Parliament!

Sir, when you became the COAS, you were known to be moving the Army back to the barracks, and the media tried to make us believe that, then there was March 16 and hearsay still give credit to you for starting the process of restoring the judges deposed by your erstwhile boss, then there were wikileaks which leaked your political likes and dislikes, how come you did not stick to your own policy of keeping away from the affairs of the civil administration! Sir, Pakistan Army has a constitutional mandate and they are bound to obey the orders of the Supreme Commander and the Chief Executive of the country, and it is Pakistan Army’s constitutional duty to safeguard the geographical boundaries of the country as and when required by the civilian authorities, how and why this mandate was / is overruled and covert and overt wars declared on its own!

Sir, now it’s an open secret that the security forces of Pakistan are too busy in running various businesses which include real estate, bakeries, banking, logistics, construction, agricultural, wedding and consumer goods services, how and why such engagements find their way into the barracks and cantonments if not at the expense of professionalism of an army!

Sir, through media I am told that an Orion aircraft costs more than 3 billion rupees, and two such aircrafts were completely destroyed at the Mehran base by a handful of terrorists, how and why this billions of rupees’ loss was incurred to the poor citizens of this country, and whether the responsibility will ever be fixed for such flagrant lapse and costs recovered!

Sir, about half of the taxes the citizens of this country pay this or that way go to your huge security establishment and instead of protecting life and property of the citizens of this country from the outside aggressors, this establishment has become a burden on their stomach and well-being, and instead has created new enemies both inside and outside the borders of the country, and that for the sake of its own survival, how and why such a policy could augur well for the citizens of this country! Sir, would you mind conceiving a smart army that is light and professional and capable of following the orders of the civilian leadership!

Sir, at this moment as because of such happenings morale of an ordinary army man as well as an ordinary citizen is at its lowest, you on behalf of your institution ought to come forward, apologize to the nation for overstepping the constitutional mandate, for letting your intelligence agencies going beyond their legal domains, for interfering in the civilian affairs, un-constitutionally taking in your hands making of the defense and foreign policy, for creating and nurturing illegal groups of fighters as is alleged, for engaging in uncalled for commercial activities, and not giving due attention to the professional duties!

Sir, that is what will break the backbone of the terrorists, not your words!

Pakistan Observer published this piece on June 20, 2011.

http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=98597

And, Pakistan Today published it in its letters to the editor on June 21, 2011.

http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2011/06/where-is-the-broken-backbone-sir/